Graduating from Flathead High School on Friday, Michael Scaccia heads off to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in June.

He’s embarking on a lifelong dream and hoping to launch an aviation-related career with the Navy. The main goal is simple: Scaccia wants to pilot the next generation of fighter jets.

“I want to fly the F-35C. That’s what I want to do,” said Scaccia, the son of Marc and Rose Scaccia.

It’s a straightforward but challenging goal. First he will spend four years in the academy to become a commissioned officer. Then comes the challenge of getting accepted into flight school and completing it.

“You have to excel because there’s a lot of competition,” Scaccia said of the hard road ahead.

The F-35C version of the Joint Strike Fighter, an aircraft still in testing, will be the Navy’s premier advanced strike fighter jet. The supersonic stealth fighter promises to pack all of the latest weapons and military technologies and be piloted by some of the Navy’s top aviators.

Scaccia’s first hurdle of getting accepted into the Naval Academy has been met. And that’s no easy feat.

Congressional nomination is required to be considered for entry into one of the country’s five service academies. Scaccia was nominated earlier this year by all three of Montana’s federal legislators.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., praised Scaccia’s athleticism, work ethic and volunteer service in a statement announcing his nomination for the Naval Academy.

“Michael has an undying work ethic and inspiring drive to serve others,” Baucus said. “My thanks to Michael for his dedication and hard work and I’m looking forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.”

Scaccia has been fascinated with aviation from a young age. “I drew a lot of inspiration from my dad when I was little,” he said.

Both of his parents were helicopter mechanics in the Navy. His father spent 20 years in the service and flew an F/A-18 Hornet — the same jet the Blue Angels fly — in Operation Desert Storm.

“I could list all of the modern airplanes when I was six,” Scaccia said. “It’s just always been a fascination. I want to put myself in the cockpit, to make that dream come true and push myself there.”

A standout student, Scaccia is graduating from Flathead High School with a full International Baccalaureate diploma.

He played soccer and ran track and cross country and is an accomplished swimmer who made it to the state meet last season.

Scaccia said he has planned to apply to the Naval Academy since he was eight years old. He intends to study engineering.

“A lot of people who want to go into aviation choose engineering because they want to learn more about the jets they’re flying. I found myself wanting to do that as well.”

Along the way he has explored other career options such as architecture. He just found they weren’t for him. That said, he’s not leaving any options off the table. Foreign languages and diving are other interests.

“There’s a whole bunch of options,” Scaccia said of a career in the Navy. “I always say you want to keep as many bridges open as you can.”

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.